Railways hockey players forced to miss senior nationals due to inter-department league clash: Report

Railway Sports Promotion Board’s decision to conduct their Inter-Railway League from January 25 will force over 280 Railways players (both men and women) to miss the senior nationals which will begin on January 23, according to a report by Mumbai Mirror.

The Inter-Railway League is set to coincide with the senior nationals, which means Railways players won’t get a chance to impress the national selectors. It will be mandatory for Railways players to play their own inter-department tournament.

“This is unfair,” the report quoted an unnamed Railways player as saying. “Nationals is the only annual tournament that helps India aspirants to project their skills before the national selectors. This is the tournament where players are actually considered and taken for India camp. If we don’t play this, it’s a year wasted.”

Last year, Hockey India had suspended and banned the Railway Sports Promotion Board from participating in its affiliated tournaments. The decision was taken after the RSPB failed to reply to an investigation on player fraud.

This fall-out between the RSPB and Hockey India has proved to be a major setback for the Railways players. They had been assured that they would get to participate in the Senior Nationals and represent any team that requested their services. However, with the introduction of the Inter-Railway League, the players are left with no choice but to skip the senior nationals.

RSPB secretary PC Lochab, though, believes there is nothing wrong in Railways players missing out an opportunity showcase their skills at a national level.

“It is compulsory for the players to play the Inter-Railway League,” he was quoted as saying in the report. “Players will get rewards, cash prizes during this league. If RSPB is conducting a tournament, shouldn’t the players employed with Railways be a part of it?

“Railways is giving them their salary and taking care of their lives. Then shouldn’t Railways decide where and what should they be playing? Their year will not be wasted. We are giving away cash rewards for their performance at the league.”